I just pour some in my hand, rub both hands together and then slap the thing on my face. I use cheap CVS stuff, which is what I found around my house. The smell isn't horrible - though it won't win you any dates - and it dissipates rather quickly.
That and the alum block is all the after shave treatment I use. I like to think of it as a minimalistic approach, or even a frugal one.
My wife calls me cheap.